FRIENDS and family of 16-year-old Eusebio Ebulabate who was stabbed to death in Palma last Sunday, bid the teenager an emotional farewell at the West African immigrant's funeral yesterday.
Scores of people turned out to pay their respects at Palma cemetery. Many overcome with grief - some fainted.
The victim's mother had flown in from the Republic of Guinea the day before yesterday but Eusebio's devastated father was physically and emotionally unable o attend the funeral.
Close friends carried the coffin the final 200 metres to the crematorium as the crowd of mourners looked on in silence. All that could be heard between the cries and sobs were isolated calls for justice. A National Police unit monitored events from afar amidst heightened tensions between Palma's gangs, but there were no incidents.
Police suspect Eusebio's death was the result of a feud between Dominican and West African gangs in the city. Nine members of the so-called Bling Bling gang, thought to have been responsible for the stabbing, have been arrested and there was a heavy police presence in parts of Palma last night, for the second night running, for fears of reprisals.
On the eve of the funeral, Eusebio's father called for calm and yesterday elder members of the Guinean community said they wanted no further violence. We don't want our kids going in search of revenge, one elder said at the funeral.